Like Father, Like Son (A sermon based on Matthew 5:38-48)

Did you get any Valentines Day cards from your enemies? Did you give any to your enemies? That's not usually the way the world works. We love those who love us. We hate those who hate us. But in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to love our enemies! How can we possibly do what he says? We remember the way the Father has loved us when we were his enemies. And like Father, like son, we too show love to those who hate us. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Matthew 5:38-48 and be encouraged to be more like your Father in heaven...

Like Father, Like Son

A sermon based on Matthew 5:38-48

Sunday, February 20, 2011 – Epiphany 7A

 

So, did you have a good Valentines Day? Did you get cards and sweets from everyone you wanted? Did you get a valentine for that special someone? Did you get cards for all your friends? …How about your enemies? Did you get a card for the co-worker that said, "I know I can't stand you, but come get a hug, Valentine!"? Or for the debt collector that keeps calling, "I hate when you harass me, but be my valentine!"? Or for the IRS auditor, "You can take my time and my money… now take my heart!"?

Not, likely, huh? The truth is, it's pretty easy to love the people who love you, and to pay kindness back with kindness and friendliness with friendliness. But how about loving the people that don't love you? Now that's not so easy, is it? To return good for evil or love for hatred? Now that's asking a lot.

The human animal snarls when attacked and bites back when bitten. But in our text for this morning, Jesus tells us not to resist evil, but instead to turn the other cheek, and even to love our enemies! Who would live like this? Only the Son of our heavenly Father. And now God calls us, as his sons (and daughters), to return love for evil just like he does to us!

Listen again to Matthew 5:38-48 for the next portion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount…

 

³⁸ "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' ³⁹ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

 

I.                    The Love of the Father

 

When Jesus says, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," he doesn't mean to do like the guy who told his co-worker, "Bob, I've been praying for you… but you're still here!" No. He means to love in action: to be patient and kind, not envious or boastful, rude or proud, to put the other person's best-interests before your own, and to forgive the wrongs others have done us. Go home this afternoon and read 1 Corinthians 13 to see God's definition of this kind of love in action.

But is that how we act toward our enemies? Is that even how we act toward our co-workers, our families, or our friends? After all, too often we treat those we "love" with greater hostility than the people we don't care about. The word for enemy here comes from the word for hate, that is "to not show love." Our "enemies" that we are to love can often be the kids who disobey, the spouse who is unloving toward us, the boss or co-worker who walks all over you. Your enemy doesn't have to be the one you're locked in mortal combat with, destined to forever fight until one of you finally perishes at the hand of the other. It could be the person sitting next to you right now, who doesn't always treat you with loving kindness.

So how do you treat them? With agape love? With that special love that would put their welfare above your own? Or do you seek to love only those who love you and to hurt those who've hurt you? After all, don't we often feel justified in our loveless actions toward those who have been loveless toward us? Isn't it right to seek justice for the sins of others?

But do you really want justice? Really?

After all justice means hell for you and me. For our loveless attitudes toward others, even toward those who are loveless toward us, we really say to God, "It's all about me and what I deserve. And I don't deserve what that guy does. My sin's not nearly as bad as his." But Jesus points out by the mirror of the law what we really look like and what we really deserve:

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" And he sums up everything he's been saying in Matthew 5 and the entire law with verse 48: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

"Love your enemies... pray for those who persecute you... Be perfect"? Well, that sure isn't us. And so we make ourselves to be God's enemies. And we deserve to remain his enemies for all of eternity. After all, that's what we choose by our loveless and hateful words and actions toward others. Yes, "justice" means hell for you and me.

But thank God that we don't get justice! For "[our] Father in heaven… causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." And he hasn't just caused the sun to shine and the rain to fall, but has sent his only Son to pay for the sins of the evil and the unrighteous… that is, for us. As God said through Paul in Romans 5(:6,8), "Christ died for the ungodly… God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

In other words, Christ loved his enemies and prayed, "Father, forgive them" for us who put him on the cross by our hostility toward him and others! And now we get sunshine and rain, forgiveness and peace, heaven and glory, when we deserve none of it! Now by taking our sins on himself on the cross and giving us his record of perfection, he has made us as "perfect… as [our] heavenly Father is perfect!" Now we are sons (and daughters) of our Father in heaven, brought into his family as recipients of his undeserved love.

And now we thank God for being so un-fair in loving us, who were once enemies, and we, in turn, reflect his love toward others. In other words, seeing his love toward us, we are to be like Father, like son (or daughter), showing undeserved love even to those who are cruel and unloving to us. …

II.                  The Love of His Children

 

What does your enemy – the disobedient child, the abusive spouse, spiteful co-worker, or demanding boss—deserve? Well, let's be clear: the unloving way in which they treat us is sin. They deserve hell for the way they treat us… just like we deserve hell for the way we treat God. They deserve punishment. They deserve to have justice dished out. And God has called the government that he's established to administer that justice. 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'

But he has not called, you, dear Christian individual, to seek vengeance or justice. He has not called you to make them suffer or hurt in the same way they have made you suffer or hurt. Instead he has called you to show the same mercy and love that he has shown to you.

Now, don't misunderstand. This doesn't mean it is wrong to enforce consequences for sinful behavior. But it does mean that even if we give tough love (and that's what consequences really are), we're always to show love—even to our enemies. Like Father, like son: "I tell you:," Jesus said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Others may deserve hostility and vengeance from us, just as we deserve hostility and vengeance from God. But instead they get love and kindness from us, just as we get love and kindness from God.

Someone once said that the best way to destroy your enemy is to make him or her your friend.

Former Boston Red Sox Hall-of-Fame third baseman, Wade Boggs, used to hate playing at Yankee Stadium.  Not because of the Yankees—they never gave him that much trouble—but because of a fan. The guy had a box seat close to the field, and when the Red Sox were in town he would torment Boggs by shouting obscenities and insults. One day before the game, while Boggs was warming up at third base, the fan began his typical routine, yelling, "Boggs, you stink!  You're a bum!" Finally, Boggs decided he had enough. He walked right over to the man, who was sitting in the stands with his friends, and said, "Are you the guy who's always yelling at me?"  The man said,  "Yeah, it's me. What are you going to do about it?" So Wade Boggs took a new baseball out of his pocket, autographed it, tossed it to the man, and went back to the field. And the guy never yelled at him ever again; in fact, he became one of Wade's biggest fans at Yankee Stadium. 

But it won't always be that easy. Your "enemy" may not respond so well. You might struggle with bitterness in your heart. Well, God doesn't say "like your enemies." That is to say, he doesn't demand that you produce an emotional feeling of happiness and joy when your adversary walks into the room. But he does say, "Love your enemies." That is to show patience and kindness, to refuse to be envious or boastful, rude or proud, to put the other person's best-interests before your own, and to forgive the wrongs others have done to us. (again, cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4ff.)

And the cool thing is that when you choose to love and choose to do what is right (in spite of how you may feel), then, more often than not, the feelings will follow.

A woman was separated from her husband and told her counselor, "All I want to do is to hurt him in the worst possible way. What can I do?" The horrible counselor told her, "Compliment him, show him love and respect, be as nice to him as possible… and then, when he has every hope for reconciliation, when he thinks you love him and are devoted to him, then file for divorce. That's the way to hurt him most." She returned two months later to report that she'd followed the counselor's advice. "Good!" he said, "Now is the time to file for divorce!" "Divorce?!" the woman cried, "Never! I've fallen in love with the guy!" … Indeed, the best way to destroy your enemy is to make him or her your friend.

And why should we do it? In the hopes that the other person will quit making life so miserable? That may happen. But then again, it may not. But you and I don't love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us for our own selfish gain. But instead "We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19) God didn't give us what we deserve. And like Father, like sons and daughters. We don't give others what they deserve in thanks to him. Just as the moon shines brightly not because it has any source of light in itself, but reflects the light of the sun, so too, we reflect the light of the Son [point to the cross] and show the same love that the Father's shown to us, even to our enemies.

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. Honesty and truth make you vulnerable. Be honest and truthful anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the best you have anyway! …Because if you give the best you have, you will truly be like your Father in heaven. Like Father, like son (like daughter). As children of God, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven!" In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,
Pastor Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

“You Can’t Be Serious!” (A sermon based on Matthew 5:21-37)

When we hear Jesus preach on the law of God, we might be tempted to think, "You can't be serious, Jesus! No one could do what you're asking!" But Jesus is serious about the law. And he's serious about our sin. But thank God that he's also serious about our salvation. He's so serious that he would sacrifice himself to rescue us from what we've thought, said, and done, and from who we are. Now, in thanks to him for rescuing us from the hell that we deserve, we're ready to get serious about sin in our lives and do whatever it takes to be rid of it. Read or listen (download or stream) to this sermon based on Matthew 5:21-37 and be encouraged to get serious...

"You Can't Be Serious!"

A sermon based on Matthew 5:21-37

Sunday, February 13, 2011 – Epiphany 6A

 

"You can't be serious," the teen said to his dad when he was told he would lose his cell phone if he didn't pull his grades up. "You can't be serious," the student said to his teacher when he was assigned a quiz on Monday, a paper on Wednesday, and a test on Friday. "You can't be serious," the woman said when her doctor told her they couldn't operate. The cancer would end her life soon.

Sometimes when the news is hard to take or the demands placed on someone seem to big, it's met with the objection, "You can't be serious!" This morning, Jesus gives us hard news to take. He places impossible demands on us. And we might be tempted to respond, "Jesus, you can't be serious!" But he serious about the law. He's dead serious. He explains that to keep the law is about more than just outward behavior. It's more than just the words you speak or even the thoughts you have. It's about who you are – your very person.

Listen to Jesus' explanation of the Law in Matthew 5:21-37…

 

 ²¹ "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

 ²³ "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

 ²⁵ "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

³¹ "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' ³² But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

³³ "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

 

I.                    God is Dead Serious About Sin

 

Now you and I might normally be relatively comfortable talking about the problems of murder and adultery that society so struggles with today. 50% of all marriages in the US still end in divorce. That's every one out of two! Over one million abortions are performed in the US each year. That number is staggering. It's hard to believe what those people will do to serve their own selfishness!

But then Jesus widens the net of the law until "those people" become "us" and we too are caught. Look into the mirror of the law and see that we are "those people…"

²¹ "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

"I'm justified in my anger," I think. "After all, look at what that person did to me. They deserve to suffer!" But Jesus says, "That anger is the equivalent to murder. After all, what's the difference between wishing harm and inflicting harm, but your cowardice of the consequences?" But, "really, Jesus? You can't be serious!"

Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

You may be answerable to the courts for murder, or even for slander, but if you call someone "stupid," Jesus says, you're in danger of hell!! "Really, Jesus? You can't be serious!"

²⁷ "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

It doesn't take cheating to be an adulterer. Letting the thought linger for just a bit, or imagining for a moment "What would it be like if…?" "But, really? A thought is the same as committing the act?! Jesus, you can't be serious!"

³³ "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴ But I tell you, Do not swear at all… ³⁷ Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Don't swear at all. Have no need to swear. Be so well known by your honesty that people assume that if you said it, it must be true! "But, really, Jesus? I can't just shape the truth to put me in a positive light? Not even once in a while?"

You see, Jesus take the law and gets rid of all the superficial distinctions we try to make between sins. We try to make a distinction between a kid who throws a toy at his sister and the adult who actually kills his sister. We try to make a distinction between a harsh word spoken at the talking head on TV and the bullet fired at a person. We try to make a distinction between looking at a few images in a magazine or on a screen and having sex with people we're not married to. We try to make a distinction between stretching the truth a bit and committing fraud and perjury.

But Jesus takes God's law and backs us up against a cliff. "You are a murderer!" he cries! "You are an adulterer!" "You are a huge liar!" And as we inch our way back from his accusations saying, "Not me, Jesus! I haven't done those things!" we fall over the edge. And as we hang by the tips of our fingers, Jesus flicks them with the law one by one. Murderer. Flick! Adulterer. Flick! Liar. Flick! And by our failure to keep the law as we ought, we deserve to fall into hell. "Really, Jesus? You can't be serious!"

But he is serious. He's dead serious.

A Lutheran pastor named C.F.W. Walther once said that small sins become large when they're thought of as small. That is to say, when you think your sins are no big deal, that's when they become a big deal. For if you think they're no big deal, you won't plead for the help that you need. But your sins are as serious as a heart attack! Even more serious!

Jesus said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away… And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away…" And Jesus isn't speaking in hyperbole. He's serious. "It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell… " But the problem is it's not our eye or our hand that causes us to sin. It's our heart. We need more than an amputation. We need heart surgery.

When Jesus strengthens the law, and we cry out in disbelief, "Jesus, you can't be serious!" He responds with, "Oh, yes I am. I am dead serious about sin. For death is what sin deserves." But Jesus also took sin so seriously that it's precisely because of sin that he came to earth…

 

II.                  God is Serious About Saving You

 

Now, did you notice the audacity that Jesus displays in this text?! Imagine for a minute that I were to say in one of my sermons, "You've read in the Bible that God says this, but I, Pastor Guenther, tell you, you've got it all wrong. My interpretation of the Bible is the only one that can really be trusted. All others get it wrong." What would you think? "What nerve!" right? "Who is this guy that claims to be the only one who gets it? But that's exactly what Jesus did.

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder…' But I tell you… You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you… It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you… Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath… But I tell you…  "

Do you see what Jesus is doing here? He's claiming to be the sole authority over the Scriptures—the very Word of God. He's indirectly claiming that he himself is God, the author of these things that were written, as if to say, "Let me explain to you what I meant when I had Moses write that down…"

And thank God that Jesus' bold claim is true! He is God! That's what gives power to the words of Matthew 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

Jesus did keep the law perfectly in our place. Jesus never had any hatred in his heart, even toward those who tortured him to death. Instead he prayed (in Luke 23:34), "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Though he was a red-blooded male and just as human as you or I and was tempted in every way that we are, Jesus never lusted. He never once thought, "How can I use that person?" but always thought, "How can I serve that person?" Jesus always spoke the truth. Again and again, the Gospel writers report that Jesus said, "I tell you the truth…" And Jesus kept, not just the fifth, sixth, and eighth commands, but all of them… in our place.

And as true God, his sacrifice in our place counted. Now we don't need to hide our failures. We don't need to cover them up. We can confess the anger that festers, the lust that lingers, the lies we've told, the sins that infect our very hearts. And he will forgive it all. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) In other words, he gives us the heart surgery we so desperately need.

And like the woman that cries out in joy, "You can't be serious!" to the boyfriend who's just proposed, or like the sweepstakes winner that cries out to Ed McMahon, "You can't be serious!" We might think this forgiveness is too good to be true and cry out, "Jesus, you can't be serious!? My every sin, my anger, my lust, my lies, all forgiven?" But he replies, "Oh, yes I am. I am dead serious about sin. For I willingly died to pay for your sin."

And now, released from our sin and rescued from hell, we don't want to be like the dog that returns to its vomit. We want to be rid of it. And so, we don't take sin lightly, but get serious about serving God and being rid of sin in our lives. And we aim to live like Jesus…

 

III.                We are Serious About Serving Him

 

Knowing what hell, Jesus has rescued us from, we are serious about thanking him. We don't take a lighthearted approach to sin, but strive will all our heart and soul to amend our sinful actions. And we do it to keep our salvation and not lose what God has given us!

After all, Satan is working hard to kill your soul. Make no mistake. He will stop at nothing to get the chance to drag your soul to hell with his. These are desperate times and desperate times call for desperate measures. So in thanks to Jesus and with a heartfelt zeal to resist the devil, we're eager to pluck out and cut off anything that causes us to sin.

Let's get serious about reconciliation and strive to rid ourselves of bitter anger and turn it over to Jesus and let him deal with it, forgiving others for the wrongs they've done us, just as we've been forgiven of the wrongs we've done before God. And strive to be reconciled to them at any cost!

A little boy was saying his prayers before bed time, but got caught on those words, "If I should die before I wake…" He repeated again slowly, "If I should die before I wake…" Then he got up and ran out of the room. He was back in a minute and mom asked where he went. And the boy replied, " "Mom, I thought about what I was saying, and I had to stop to put my brother's toys back. I hid them all just to see what he'd do in the morning. But if I should die before I wake, I wouldn't want him to be mad. Lots of things seem fun if you're gonna keep on living," he said, "but you don't want them that way if you should die before you wake."

So too, we're serious about our reconciliation with God, and so we're serious about reconciliation with others as well.

Let's get serious about purity and make every effort to remain pure. Let the Spirit work through the muscles in your neck as you look the other way when someone draws your gaze in an inappropriate way. Shut off the TV when it shows things you shouldn't watch. Put the computer in a well-traveled room. Maybe you even have to cancel the cable or the internet connection! "You can't be serious!" But we are serious. We're ready to cut off anything that causes us to sin!

I know of one guy who canceled the Sunday paper because of the lingerie displayed in the ads. And I know of another that would not shake the hand of another woman lest that physical contact put him in a compromising situation! "Really? You can't be serious!" some might say. But we say, "I am serious. I'm dead serious about serving Jesus!" 

Let's get serious about our marriages! Don't let things deteriorate to the point where legal counsel is needed. But work at your marriage with all your might to make it all that God would have it be! That means we serve the other, even when it's uncomfortable, unpleasant, or undesirable. "You can't be serious!" I'm serious about serving Jesus!

Let's get serious about being honest and trustworthy so that everyone knows each of us as truth-tellers. Yesterday was the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, known as "Honest Abe." For, one night when he was counting the cash he'd received at the general store he ran, he noticed he'd take a few cents from a customer than was due. So he walked a long distance that night to pay it back. On another occasion, he discovered that his scales were off and that he'd given a woman too little tea for the money she paid. He closed the shop and went to house to give the woman what was her due, much to her surprise, as he she didn't even know she'd been shorted. Likewise, may we be so serious about telling the truth, that we're known as "Honest Rob" and "Honest Ryan" and "Honest" fill-in-your-name.

Will getting serious with sin be easy? Will it be pleasant? No. Of course not. It hurts to gouge out an eye. It hurts to cut off a hand. It hurts to swallow your pride. It hurts to refuse your sinful desires. But these are the growth pains of a maturing Christian.

We're serious about sin because we know it's no laughing matter. But when we do slip up and fall, we know that Jesus will pick us up. When we fail to keep his law, he will forgive. When we sin, we know that we can turn to him again. And by the forgiveness that's ours by his cross, we'll be empowered to commit ourselves to the fight all over again.

"Thou shall not kill." ("Thou shall not be angry.") "Thou shall not commit adultery." ("Thou shall not have impure thoughts.") "Thou shall not lie." ("Thou shall not ever make an oath, because an oath shall not be necessary.")

"Really, Jesus? Are you serious?" He is serious about the law and about our sin. But he's also serious about saving us from our sin by his death. Now we too are serious about the law. And we're serious about keeping it. And by his the forgiveness that's yours, you do have the power to be calm, and pure, and honest, and loving. In Jesus' name, dear friends, let's get serious! Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

God’s Life Preservers (A sermon based on Matthew 5:13-20)

Are you salty in your speech? Are you bright? Jesus calls us to be both! But we're not always so eager to preserve others as we are to preserve our own self interests. But thanks be to God that he sent Jesus to be our life preserver and save us from rotting in hell. Now, in thanks to him, we're eager to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world and preserve others by sharing the good news of Jesus forgiveness with them. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon and be encouraged to be God's life preservers...

God's Life Preservers

A sermon based on Matthew 5:13-20

Sunday, February 6, 2011 – Pentecost 5A

 

One Peanuts cartoon, (you know, the one with Snoopy and Charlie Brown?), shows Peppermint Patty talking to Charlie Brown. She said, "Guess what, Chuck? The first day of school and I got sent to the principal's office. It was your fault, Chuck." To which Charlie Brown replies, "My fault? How could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is my fault?" And Peppermint Patty responds, "You're my friend, aren't you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me."

As we continue to study Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that we began last week, this morning we hear Jesus teach how you and I are to be a positive influence on others. By rescuing us from our sin, Jesus has also rescued us from our selfish way of life. And now we are positive influencers. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world.

Listen again to Matthew 5:13-20, picking up where we left off last week in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and hear of God's life preservers: how Jesus preserves us from hell, and how we in turn, preserve others by our positive influence. Matthew 5:13-20…

 ¹³ "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

 ¹⁴ "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

¹⁷ "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  ¹⁸ I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  ¹⁹ Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

I.                    Christ Preserves Us

"You are the salt…" Jesus says, "You are the light…" And in the Greek, the "You" is in an emphatic position. "You!" "You are the salt… You are the light…" This is what you are to be like…

First he says, to be salty. No, we're not to melt the ice and snow on the sidewalks. But we Chrsitians are to be like salt as we enhance the flavor of life, making the world a better place to live. We do this not just in worship, with our church families, or at home, but in the world. We influence others in a positive way to make a positive impact.

And to do that we may need some salty speech. No, not in the sense of being course in your speech, talking like a sailor. But we say what needs to be said. You've heard the expression "to rub salt in the wound," meaning to make someone hurt even more than they do? But do you know where the expression came from? In earlier centuries salt was rubbed into open cuts and wounds in order to prevent infections. It stung like crazy, sure. But it saved lives.

Likewise we Christians are called to (lovingly) point out the sins of others. We do make it sting. Not because it's fun, but because we want to save lives and lead others to repentance and then to the cross. It's not a fun job. But that's what we're called to do. To be the salt of the earth and have this kind of salty speech.

And when they feel the salty sting of the law, we're also called to be lights…

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." In the middle of winter in Alaska you know the importance of lights. They let us see, they give us hope, they save our lives. On Wednesday night I flew on the smallest plane I've ever been on. And as we flew in to Kenai at 10:15 at night, I admit it was a bit unnerving when all I could see out my window was snow and darkness. But the pilot (apparently) could see the runway lights on the landing strip. Those lights guided us all toward a safe landing and literally preserved our lives.

Likewise, we are to let our light shine. By our behavior and actions we're to act like the runway lights, like the light house, that guides people to safe passage. After the salty sting of the law, we are to shine the light on the cross that they might find the comfort of God's forgiveness in Jesus.

And we're not just supposed to be a beacon that says, "Come to the light. Come find us here." No! We are the light of the world! We are to be more like search lights that go and look for others lost in the dark. If we react to the sinful world by retreating from it, of if we react to the sinful world by becoming just like it, or if we react to the sinful world by watering down the truth to make it more appealing, we lose our saltiness. We're like a light without the batteries.

So how salty are you? How bright are you? Do you let your light shine? Do others see your good deeds and know that you're different? Do you always point out the truth of his word in both law and gospel? Or do you sometimes take the sting out of God's law by teaching (by your words or by your actions!) that God isn't a holy God who must punish sin? Do your lives leave others with the joyful flavor of a Savior who means everything to you? Or are you too earthly minded to be any heavenly good or too heavenly minded to be any earthly good?

If you complain about the sins of society and how things sure aren't the way they used to be… well, guess who's to blame? If meat goes bad, there is no sense in blaming the meat. That is what happens when the bacteria are allowed to breed unrestrained. The question to ask is, "Where is the salt?" If society becomes corrupt like a stinking fish, there's no sense in blaming society. That's what happens when fallen human society is left to itself and human evil is allowed to breed unrestrained. The question to ask is "Where is the church?"

The truth is, we have not been as salty or as bright as our God would have us be. And that's a problem. Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law… I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law… Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments… will be called least in the kingdom of heaven… For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

In other words, unless you're more holy than Gandhi, or Mother Theresa, or the apostle Paul, or Martin Luther, you will not get to heaven. Later in this same sermon Jesus would sum up the law: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." But the truth is, we cannot do this perfectly. We cannot do it well enough. And so what does God say we deserve?

"But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

The purpose of a Christian, the very reason that we're still around, is to preserve and season the people of this world by means of the gospel. If we don't do that, we're is not fulfilling our purpose. We're worthless and deserve to be thrown out and trampled, an obvious picture of our just judgment. When there's no salt, meat begins to rot. And when we lose our saltiness, we deserve to rot in hell. 

But thank God, then, for his life preserver, Jesus. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to teach it as it should properly be understood. In other words we still need to be perfect. But Jesus also came to fulfill the law not only in the sense that he made it's proper understanding full and complete, but that he made it's keeping full and complete. Jesus fulfilled the law by keeping every one of God's commands. 

He was salty in his speech calling a spade a spade. He perfectly shone the light of the gospel to those living in darkness. In fact, Jesus himself was (and is) the light! He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." He is the runway lights that shows the way to heaven. He shined with light at his transfiguration to show that he is true God. And as true God his death on the cross to pay for our sins counted! He rose again! And his light shined bright on Easter morning as he rose again! And like a search light he came looking for us. He rescued us. He preserves our life still as God's perfect life preserver!

And the blessed result? We are at peace with God! We are preserved from death itself through Jesus! By the preserving salt of his gospel we won't rot in hell! And that changes us right now! Jesus didn't say "You will become salt and light." He didn't say, "I want you to be salt and light." He said, "You are the salt… You are the light…" It's not a command, but reality. This is what God has made you…

II.                  We Preserve the World  

Now, just as Jesus has saved us and become our life preserver, we, in turn, preserve the lives of others. We are the salt of the earth.

Cookies and pies are good and fine. But in my opinion, the really good snacks are the ones with salt. Give me the chips, the flavored crackers, the popcorn and the pretzels. Of course, without the salt, well… you can have 'em. In the same way, we Christians are what make the world full of flavor to God. And we do preserve the world. The only reason God doesn't destroy the world, the only reason that he's delaying judgment day, is because he's being patient, waiting for us to season the world with his grace and bring others into God's family.

So be salty! Rub salt in the wounds! Proclaim the harsh law of God: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." just as Jesus did! For only the sting of the law will prevent the infection of a self-righteous reliance on one's own good behavior that finds no need for a Savior. Then, shine the light of the gospel. For, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."

When I went to Israel in 2008 one of the highlights of the trip was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. And as we were out on the boat the sun was setting. And the lights of the nearby villages slowly came on. One city named Sephora, very near where Jesus preached his Sermon on the Mount, was lit up as the street lights and house lights came on. And that city that I'd never hear of, that I couldn't see in the daylight, could be seen clearly from almost anywhere on the Sea of Galillee.

That's what you and I are to be like. To let our light shine clearly no matter where we go. And we can't help it! A light can't not shine. It would be like having a cold heat or a dry water. We must shine. It's who we are! So we become the light house, the runway lights, that guide salted sinners to the certain hope of the cross. We bring out the search light and go to seek the lost, not waiting for them to come to us!

At home, we speak the truth in love. At school, we live our faith and show that we're different. At church, we love one another deeply from the heart. At work, we are faithful, not to be noticed, but because we work for our Savior. Through our offerings, we help to shine the light of the gospel around the world! And by our salt, we preserve the world. By our light, we expand the kingdom!

A few years ago I admired a painting of a little girl out in the open sea, in the middle of a storm, clinging to a rock with both hands as her ship is sinking in the background. It's a neat picture of Christ our rock who rescues us from our sin, who we cling to in the Word. But later, I found out that the artist did a second painting almost identical to the first. The second painting has the same girl, the same rock, and the same ship in the same storm-tossed sea. But in the second painting, the little girl clung to the rock with only one hand. With the other, she was reaching into the ocean for a little boy who was struggling to keep his head above water.

That's a neat picture of what God has made us. We live our lives in the hopes that by our actions and by our words, we might be instrumental in saving others from the storm of sin and from drowning in hell. We are to them God's life preservers.

And make no mistake. They're watching.

A pastor was in his yard making a wooden trellis to support a climbing vine. As he was pounding away, he noticed that neighbor boy was watching him carefully without saying a word. Pleased at the thought that his work was being admired, the pastor finally said, "Are you trying to pick up some pointers on gardening or carpentry?" "Neither," the boy replied. "I'm just waiting to hear what a pastor says when he hits his thumb with a hammer."

Your friends, your family, your co-workers, are waiting to see how you, dear Christian, behave, to see how you respond when things don't go so well for you. An what an opportunity you have! Now, having been rescued by Jesus with your life preserved in his grace, now live such lives that they can't help but ask, "What makes you so different?" Then by your words, by shining the spotlight on the cross, you can preserve others… from death, from rotting in hell. So, go. Be salty! Be bright! And let's get to work, having fun while we save souls from hell. In Jesus name, dear friends, "You are the salt of earth… You are the light of the world…" You are God's life preservers. Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

“God Bless You!” (A sermon based on Matthew 5:1-12)

Do you feel blessed? How can we be blessed by God? Why should God bless? Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Matthew 5:1-12 and find out how we are blessed by God even though we don't deserve it. Be encouraged, in turn, to be a blessing to others...

"God Bless You!"

A sermon based on Matthew 5:1-12

Sunday, January 30, 2011 – Pentecost 4A

 

            "God bless you!" Usually that phrase is followed by a sneeze, isn't it? Sometimes it's said in response to something kind someone does. But not this morning. This morning "God bless you" is followed by a list of things we should do and more… Someone once said that Jesus' beatitudes are the attitudes we should be. Be merciful, be peacemakers, be pure in heart. Then (and only then), Jesus tells us, can you expect to be blessed by God.

In his "Sermon on the Mount," the longest record of Jesus' sayings, Jesus pulls off the gloves and hits hard with the law. While many believed they were good and worthy of God's blessings as long as they were fairly decent folk who stayed out of serious trouble, Jesus took the law to a whole new level. One that we can't keep.

So how can God say to us, "Bless you!" How can we who fail to keep his law, be blessed by him? We certainly deserve no blessing from God! But we are blessed by him and are rewarded by his grace and in turn we long to be a blessing to others. Listen to the opening lines of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5:1-12 and learn how to be blessed by God…

 

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them, saying: ³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

I.                    We Deserve No Blessings

 

The word translated "blessed" in these verses, can mean "happy." But the NIV got it right here when they translated it "blessed." Everywhere that Matthew uses the word it's implied that God is the one blessing. Jesus isn't just telling people the key to finding true happiness. He's telling us how to be blessed by God.

So who are they that are blessed by God? Let's look at the list. "Blessed are the poor in spirit…" Jesus isn't insisting we take a vow of poverty. The words "in spirit" make that clear. Blessed are the ones who humbly recognize their sin and see how spiritually impoverished they are before God. They recognize they have nothing of value to offer him that he needs.

 

·         "Blessed are those who mourn…" Obviously it's not just those who mourn over the loss of their own selfish interests. But blessed are they who mourn over their sin in true repentance.

·         "Blessed are the meek…" – who aren't haughty and proud before others, sure, but especially before God.

·         "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…" – who long not for more money or for an easier life, but who crave a great righteousness and obedience to God. Who are driven by their longing to serve him.

·         "Blessed are the merciful…" –who are quick to forgive show compassion on others, who don't' hold a grudge, but let go of their sense of being wronged and desire to get even.

·         "Blessed are the pure in heart…" – who have no unclean thoughts or attitudes, who are always pure, then, in what they say and think and do.

·         "Blessed are the peacemakers…" – who are quick to serve others instead of themselves, who are calm and patient, and seek to listen before they speak and understand before being understood.

·         "Blessed are those who are persecuted… [and insulted] …because of [Jesus]." That implies that blessed are those who are seasoning their speech with Jesus and make it known that they follow him. Blessed are those who don't back down from doing what's right when it's tough to do the right thing and the right thing will cause them suffering.

 

"Blessed are these," Jesus says, "who do all these things all the time." "Great is your reward in heaven." But how well do you do?

A survey once showed that that 85% of all drivers in America consider themselves to be "above-average" drivers. Of course, this cannot be true: By definition, only 49% of drivers are above average. But the survey gives us an insight into human nature: People generally view themselves as better than others. And if they are better than others, then they are doing a good enough job.

But how well do we really do? Driving skills aside, how do we compare to the beatitudes? Do you think you meet the qualifications of a saint? Do you do the things Jesus says perfectly? Do you at least do them well? Are you even above average?

 

·         Are you poor in spirit or meek or haughty and proud? If you answered, "No. I'm not proud! I'm always very humble!" Well, how ironic! See how easily we can fool ourselves?

·         Do you always hunger and thirst for righteousness, longing only to serve Jesus, mourning over those times that you've failed? Or do you sometimes selfishly hunger and thirst for your own comfort and convenience and mourn only when things don't go your way?

·         Are you always a merciful peacemaker, looking for opportunities to serve and forgive? Or do you sometimes hold a grudge against someone who's hurt you or wrong you? (And this in spite of the way God has dealt to patiently and mercifully with you.)

·         Do you always boldly share your faith come what may? Or do you sometimes keep quiet in order to avoid any chance of insult or persecution?

·         And even if you do seem pure and good and kind and loving on the outside, are you always pure in heart, in your thoughts, in your attitudes, where only God can see?

 

Me neither. And that's a problem, friends.

"Blessed are those who do all these things," says Jesus. But that's a pretty big condition to be met before one can say "God bless you." You see, this portion of Jesus' sermon is all law. We can't do these things well enough. We deserve no blessing or reward from God.

But, while we've failed at keeping God's law and deserve no blessing God can still say, "Blessed are you," of everyone here. How? Not because we keep the law, but because Christ kept it for us. It's been said that one should always, "Practice what you preach!" Well, Jesus did…

 

II.                  We're Blessed by God's Grace

 

A German Lutheran pastor who served during the time of the Second World War and stood up to Hitler at the cost of his life, a man by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, understood the Beatitutes well. He said, "Having reached the end of the Beatitudes, we naturally ask if there is any place on this earth for the community which they describe. Clearly, there is one place, and only one, and that is where the Poorest, Meekest, and most sorely Tried of all men is to be found — on  the cross at Golgotha. The community which is the subject of the Beatitudes is the community of the crucified. With Him it has lost all, and with him it has found all."

Jesus, and Jesus alone, personified the Beatitudes. Only he was everything the law demanded we be: He was poor in spirit and humble even though he alone rightly could be proud since only his heart was perfectly pure with no unclean thought or attitude, with no sin ever committed. He was meek, humbling himself before God the Father by becoming a man, humbling himself before other men becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Jesus mourned over sin—not his own, but ours!—and over it's effects in the lives of sinners. And he took action! He hungered and thirsted—longed for and craved—our righteousness. He was so hungry that he would willingly cast his soul into the hell of separation from the Father to bring it about!

Yes, Jesus, perfectly practiced what he preached. And so he alone deserves blessings from the Father, but he chose to be persecuted for our righteousness, insulted because of us, and to die for us so that he might be merciful to us and forgive us. He is the perfect Peacemaker – winning peace for us between God and us.

And by his work, by practicing what he preached, he gave us God's blessings. He says to us, "God bless you!" and it's true by his grace. Blessed are those who know Jesus. Now, ours is the kingdom of heaven—right now as God rules in our hearts and forever in glory. We have been shown mercy by God and when we mourn over our sin, when we're meek and poor in spirit, confessing it to God, we are comforted by his forgiveness. Now, we are pure in heart with every sin removed. We are filled and satisfied with Jesus righteousness won for us, never to hunger or thirst or be lacking again. We are called Sons of God—brought into his family, with the promise to receive an inheritance. We will inherit not only the earth but heaven itself. We will see God—face to face!

How true it is that we can "Rejoice and be glad, because great is [our] reward in heaven"—a reward not earned by us, but a reward given to us by grace. And now, we can't help but be changed people—people with Beatitude attitudes!

 

III.                We're Eager to Be a Blessing to Others in Thanks

 

One Sunday as they drove home from church, a little girl turned to her mom and said, "Mommy, there's something about the sermon I don't understand." "Oh? What' that?" mom asked. "Well, pastor said that God is so big that He could hold the whole world in His hand. Is that true?" "Yes, honey, that's true." "But Mommy, he also said that God lives inside of us when we believe in Jesus. Is that true, too?" Again, the mother assured the little girl that what pastor said was true. With a puzzled look on her face the little girl then asked, "If God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn't He show through?" And you know, she was right. That's what the Beatitudes are all about—God shows through.

When we understand what Jesus has done for us in spite of what we deserve, we hunger and thirst for righteousness. Our greatest joy is found in serving him in thanks and we can never be satisfied in that desire.

But Jesus isn't here, physically. So how can we serve him? Well, he tells us. "Whatever you [do] for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you [do] for me." (Matthew 25:40)

So we're eager to share what we've been given by God with others. We're meek and humble in regard to our status. After all I'm just one beggar telling another beggar where to find free bread. We hunger and thirst to share Jesus' righteousness with them and are willing to be persecuted, insulted and wronged for it, ready to show mercy to those who hurt us, ready to make peace. And if no peace can be found and we continue to be hurt or insulted or persecuted for it? Who cares? It's nothing to us because we're blessed by God! Rejoice and be glad, dear friends, because great is your reward in heaven! In Jesus' name, dear friends, God has blessed you. Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297